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Foundation Document Overview, Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania

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Foundation Document Overview, Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Independence National Historical Park Pennsylvania Contact Information For more information about the Independence National Historical Park, contact: [email protected] or (215) 597-7120 or write to: Superintendent, Independence National Historical Park and Associated National Historic Sites and Memorials 143 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Description Established in 1948, Independence National Historical Park was created to protect the historic places associated with the birth of the American republic, standing as icons of freedom and democratic ideals for people around the world. The park spans more than 51 acres within the City of Philadelphia, preserving and interpreting a rich collection of the United States of America’s Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal period heritage. The park’s designers were strongly influenced by the City Beautiful Movement as well as the trend toward colonial revival in design introduced at Williamsburg, Virginia. While the urban renewal movement in Philadelphia was underway, the National Park Service was working collaboratively with local preservationists and stakeholders in developing Independence National Historical Park. Pioneering historic structure restoration in the 1950s and 1960s, with architects, engineers, archeologists, curators, and historians working on Independence Hall as well as other park structures, landscapes, and collections, led to development of a modern methodology and rigorous The centerpiece of the park is Independence Hall, where the standards for restoration and reconstruction that are still Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, a model for the National Park Service and private sector and the United States Constitution were debated and professionals. Most of the park’s historic structures are adopted in the late 18th century. Independence Hall and located in the vicinity of the four landscaped blocks between nearby Congress Hall were the principal meetinghouses of Philadelphia’s Chestnut, Walnut, 2nd, and 6th Streets. Here, the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and along these streets, amid these venerable houses and public the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. In buildings, colonists began their quest for freedom and Independence Square, the Declaration of Independence was independence. Here too, the United States of America was read publicly for the first time on July 8, 1776. The legacy of born and its ideals enacted in the Constitution. the nation’s founding documents—universal principles of freedom and democracy—has influenced lawmakers around the world and distinguished Independence Hall as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Across the street from Independence Square, the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of independence and an international symbol of freedom, is displayed in the Liberty Bell Center. Hung in the State House in 1753, it summoned the Pennsylvania Assembly to work. In the 1830s anti-slavery groups named it the Liberty Bell. The bell cracked sometime around 1846, but its message still rings out. Surrounding the Liberty Bell Center is the park’s Independence Mall, one of Philadelphia’s great outdoor public spaces, which runs between 5th and 6th Streets, from Chestnut Street to Race Street. Description Independence National Historical Park is much more than With so many Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The park preserves important places under and interprets many of our country’s most important its care, Independence resources associated with the establishment of the government National Historical of the United States of America. Carpenters’ Hall is the site of Park works the First Continental Congress held in September 1774. The collaboratively with Supreme Court of the United States first met at Philadelphia’s many partners and Old City Hall. The site of the President’s House, where George stakeholders in the Washington and John Adams and their households lived and stewardship of our worked during their terms as the first and second presidents national heritage. of the United States, prior to Adams’ move to the White House The park works in 1800, is interpreted by the park, especially in the paradox closely with the city of of the Washingtons bringing their enslaved people to work Philadelphia and the and live there. Franklin Court preserves the site of Benjamin state of Pennsylvania, Franklin’s house and businesses, providing a window into the and with the life and times of this founding father. Washington Square, one Independence Visitor of William Penn’s five original squares, is home to the Tomb of Center Corporation the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. jointly managing the Independence Visitor The park also protects the First and Second Bank buildings of Center located on 6th the United States; the Merchants Exchange Building; and the and Market Streets. Some of the historic buildings in the park faithfully reconstructed social, cultural, and political center of are still owned by private organizations such as the American Philadelphia during the park’s period of significance, the City Philosophical Society and the Carpenters’ Company of the Tavern. These are just a few of the many historic buildings and City and County of Philadelphia, so the park must work landscapes managed and protected by Independence National closely with these groups on the protection and interpretation Historical Park. of these properties. The park is also involved with numerous houses of worship and congregations, whose churches and cemeteries are an integral part of the historic significance of the park. Congress created the National Constitution Center as a private nonprofit organization in the park, located in a federally owned building on the mall, to be a nonpartisan interpreter of the history of the Constitution and its current relevance. There are numerous civic organizations, nonprofit groups, corporations, and countless stakeholders locally, nationally, and internationally that the park engages with on a regular basis. The diverse interests and passion of the park’s many partners and stakeholders reflect the importance of buildings and resources protected by Independence National Historical Park. Purpose Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to merit primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. • Structures Associated with the Founding and Growth of the Nation • Cultural Landscapes • Museum Collections • Archeological Resources • Civic Responsibility and the Exercise of First Amendment Rights The birthplace of the United States • Pioneering Partnerships and Collaboration of America, INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK preserves and interprets Independence National Historical Park contains other the buildings, grounds, and museum resources and values that may not be fundamental to the collections of outstanding national purpose and significance of the park, but are important to significance associated with the consider in management and planning decisions. These are American Revolution and growth of the referred to as other important resources and values. country. Individuals today can make • Appropriate Recreation meaningful connections with the events, ideas, and people represented by the park resources, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, a World Heritage Site. Significance Significance statements express why Independence National Historical Park resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit. • Ideals of Freedom and Democracy: Independence National Historical Park protects the buildings where the United States government was founded on the ideals of liberty, democracy, and religious freedom. Both the • Founding Documents of Democracy: Within many of Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, a World Heritage Site, the historic buildings at Independence National Historical are recognized as national and international symbols of Park, the founding documents of modern democracy, these ideals. including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America were drafted, • The First and Second Continental Congress: In 1774 debated, and signed. These documents have served as the First Continental Congress met at Carpenters’ Hall in models for other countries, contributing to the World Philadelphia to debate the need for a new course of action Heritage Site designation for Independence Hall. for the American colonies. Meeting again in 1776, this time at the State House, the Second Continental Congress • Establishment of the Executive Branch of expressed this new course of action through the Declaration Government: The executive branch of the United States of Independence,
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